Sermon for 21 Nov, 2021

Paul’s Letter to the Church in Corinth

I have been fascinated with the letters of the Apostle Paul for a long time and for many reasons. Paul was not the only letter writer. John wrote three, and Peter wrote two. One was from James the half-brother of Jesus and leader of the Jerusalem church and still another by Jude another of Christ’s half-brothers. By contrast, Paul wrote fourteen plus the Book of Acts. Maybe Paul was a more prolific writer, or maybe he had a better secretary and staff. While the other letter writers wrote to a general audience, Paul wrote to specific individuals and congregations. They were, however, widely distributed.

When you think about it, anything written by someone who walked with Christ would be valuable to new converts. Paul’s meeting with Jesus was brief but he met with Him nonetheless. The four Gospels give us record the life and teachings of Jesus. Paul’s letters, on the other hand, give us the teachings of the Risen Christ. There is a difference. The teachings of Jesus were theoretical. The teachings of the Risen Christ were practical and applicable to the new church. In both cases the originals were copied many times and distributed to the growing Christian world. Whether or not they were altered before distribution is another question, but even though the letters of Paul were addressed to a specific church, they were widely distributed, and Paul realized this, especially after the first one.

The first letter was to the church in Corinth. Corinth was in Greece between Sparta and Athens. It sets on the isthmus between the Greek mainland and the Peloponnese Peninsula. Sparta is on the peninsula. In ancient times it was both cheaper and safer to load ships on wheels and haul them three miles overland then it was to sail around the tip between the Aegean to the Ionian Seas. Thus, Corinth was a vibrant trading center with traders from all over the rim of the Mediterranean Coast. It is thought that the church at Corinth was fairly new. It may have been started by travelers who heard Peter’s speech at Pentecost or it may have been started by early Evangelists, but it was there when Paul made his second journey approximately 17 years after the ascension of Christ.

Paul was not happy with what he found. He found the church divided between his followers and the followers of another traveling preacher named Apollos. Apollos was a Jew from Alexandria Egypt, well spoken and pretty well versed in the teachings of Jesus, but a bit lacking on the significance of Christ’s death and resurrection. He is said to have only the Baptism of John, whatever that means. Scripture doesn’t say where Apollos got the basis of his faith, I assume it was from Peter at Pentecost. I’m not sure, but that would make sense. His speaking ability and enthusiasm for Christ earned him a large following, but Apollos had not been trained as Paul had been. You may recall Paul was struck blind on the road to Damascus. God sent Ananias to instruct Paul in Christian doctrine. Those Disciples who had walked with Jesus didn’t need further training. Paul had not been part of Christ’s ministry but had actually met the Risen Christ and still needed instruction. Apollos hadn’t done any of that, and Paul didn’t like it.

Can you imagine a preacher with no formal training by the clerical bureaucracy? How could any one be inspired by a preacher who had not graduated from seminary and blessed by the church hierarchy? Paul didn’t like that. I’m not sure our Bishop would have liked it either but there Apollo was. There is still controversy over what Apollo was teaching different than the ordained evangelists. It couldn’t have been much different, however, because Paul didn’t denounce him. Paul’s criticism was that in the controversy over who was the primary spiritual leader the Church had lost the focus on Jesus. Can you imagine that? A church dispute over non-salvation issues diverted the focus from the Savior.

I am reminded of a meeting of a group of conservative evangelical northwest Christians. Several members from our church were there including Rosie Peterson. Many of you remember Rosie she has been in a nursing home in Lewiston since John was our minister. Anyway, Rosie watched the proceedings as we collectively bashed the liberals then she raised her hand and said, “we are all Christians. Why don’t we just love each other?” I believe that is what God told us to do.

Paul goes on to the very famous passage that is frequently used at weddings and funerals.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful, it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now, we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

I started this exploration of First Corinthians in order to determine what message it had for us today. I think I found it. As the Apostle John said, “God is love”. If you have experienced love, you have seen God.

That realization inspired me to write t6his song for my daughter a few years ago. It is a fitting ending to this message.

The Answer is Love

(Renee's Song)

You ask me why the moon is bright and why there’s stars above.

No matter what the question, the answer is love.

Why do babies stir your soul and what makes young men cry?

What has made us fear the dark and why are children shy?

You watch as the rivers flow unfailing to the sea,

And wonder as the geese fly south how their journey’s came to be.

How do two hearts become entwined like a hand within a glove.

No matter what the question the answer is love.

Love knows no limits. Love knows no end.

Love can be passion, or a handshake of a friend.

Love can never be diminished If your heart is true.

Love can even glorify those who care for you.

We wonder why we’re here on earth and what is God made of.

No matter what the question the answer is love.

You ask me why the moon is bright and why there’s stars above.

No matter what the question, the answer is love.

Why do babies stir your soul and what makes young men cry?

What has made us fear the dark and why are children shy?

You watch as the rivers flow unfailing to the sea,

And wonder as the geese fly south how their journeys came to be.

How do two hearts become entwined like a hand within a glove.

No matter what the question the answer is love.

We wonder why we’re here on earth and what is God made of.

No matter what the question the answer is love.

Pray with me. Dear Lord you are love. Your very essence is love. When we love each other, we are not only doing what Jesus asked us to do, we are one with God. Amen